(a) Informing. The agency must—

(1) Provide for a combination of written and oral methods designed to inform effectively all EPSDT eligible individuals (or their families) about the EPSDT program.

(2) Using clear and nontechnical language, provide information about the following—

(i) The benefits of preventive health care;

(ii) The services available under the EPSDT program and where and how to obtain those services;

(iii) That the services provided under the EPSDT program are without cost to eligible individuals under 18 years of age, and if the agency chooses, to those 18 or older, up to age 21, except for any enrollment fee, premium, or similar charge that may be imposed on medically needy beneficiaries; and

(iv) That necessary transportation and scheduling assistance described in §441.62 of this subpart is available to the EPSDT eligible individual upon request.

(3) Effectively inform those individuals who are blind or deaf, or who cannot read or understand the English language.

(4) Provide assurance to CMS that processes are in place to effectively inform individuals as required under this paragraph, generally, within 60 days of the individual's initial Medicaid eligibility determination and in the case of families which have not utilized EPSDT services, annually thereafter.

(b) Screening.

(1) The agency must provide to eligible EPSDT beneficiaries who request it, screening (periodic comprehensive child health assessments); that is, regularly scheduled examinations and evaluations of the general physical and mental health, growth, development, and nutritional status of infants, children, and youth. (See paragraph (c)(3) of this section for requirements relating to provision of immunization at the time of screening.) As a minimum, these screenings must include, but are not limited to:

(i) Comprehensive health and developmental history.

(ii) Comprehensive unclothed physical examination.

(iii) Appropriate vision testing.

(iv) Appropriate hearing testing.

(v) Appropriate laboratory tests.

(vi) Dental screening services furnished by direct referral to a dentist for children beginning at 3 years of age. An agency may request from CMS an exception from this age requirement (within an outer limit of age 5) for a two year period and may request additional two year exceptions. If an agency requests an exception, it must demonstrate to CMS's satisfaction that there is a shortage of dentists that prevents the agency from meeting the age 3 requirement.

(2) Screening services in paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be provided in accordance with reasonable standards of medical and dental practice determined by the agency after consultation with recognized medical and dental organizations involved in child health care.

(c) Diagnosis and treatment. In addition to any diagnostic and treatment services included in the plan, the agency must provide to eligible EPSDT beneficiaries, the following services, the need for which is indicated by screening, even if the services are not included in the plan—

(1) Diagnosis of and treatment for defects in vision and hearing, including eyeglasses and hearing aids;

(2) Dental care, at as early an age as necessary, needed for relief of pain and infections, restoration of teeth and maintenance of dental health; and

(3) Appropriate immunizations. (If it is determined at the time of screening that immunization is needed and appropriate to provide at the time of screening, then immunization treatment must be provided at that time.)

(d) Accountability. The agency must maintain as required by §§431.17 and 431.18—

(1) Records and program manuals;

(2) A description of its screening package under paragraph (b) of this section; and

(3) Copies of rules and policies describing the methods used to assure that the informing requirement of paragraph (a)(1) of this section is met.

(e) Timeliness. With the exception of the informing requirements specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the agency must set standards for the timely provision of EPSDT services which meet reasonable standards of medical and dental practice, as determined by the agency after consultation with recognized medical and dental organizations involved in child health care, and must employ processes to ensure timely initiation of treatment, if required, generally within an outer limit of 6 months after the request for screening services.

[49 FR 43666, Oct. 31, 1984; 49 FR 45431, Nov. 16, 1984]